Lung cancer

Adenocarcinoma of the lung

Most lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers, and most non-small lung cancers are adenocarcinomas. This form of lung cancer accounts for more than 30 percent of all lung cancers and about half of all non-small cell lung cancers.

Adenocarcinoma forms in glands that secrete mucus. Other than the lungs, adenocarcinoma is most prevalent in cancers found in the prostate, pancreas, esophagus, colon and rectum. In the lungs, adenocarcinoma tumors most often form in the alveoli, the tiny balloon-like sacs that help pump air in and out of the lungs.